The present invention was first described in Disclosure Document Registration filed under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7122 and 37 C.F.R. xc2xa71.14, but not yet returned. There are no previously filed, nor currently any co-pending applications, anywhere in the world.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to medical accessories. More specifically, the present invention relates to a stand used to elevate a broken or sprained limb, whether cast, bandaged or not.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a person wearing a leg or an arm cast due to an operation, bone breakage or fracture, is required to keep his/her leg or arm in an elevated position. It is not always easy to find something to place one""s injured leg or arm upon, however. Often in a restaurant situation, a person with a cast needs to ask for an extra chair that because of lack of space underneath the table, needs to be placed in an aisle way causing hassle to restaurant employees and embarrassment to the injured person. Accordingly, a need exists for a portable, space saving stand that can be strapped onto or incorporated with a person""s cast. The present invention fulfills this need.
Several attempts have been made to devise a practical cast stand. U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,068 issued to Haugen, discloses a cast support device that can either be built into a crutch or incorporated with a person""s cast. The problem with the device disclosed in the ""068 Patent, however, is that there is a manual turnstile that the user manipulates in order to raise his/her limb to the proper level. This can prove to be a huge inconvenience for the user and may require another person""s help.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention; however, the following references were considered related. Consequently, the need exists for a cast stand that automatically locks into place and does not require the user to reach the cast stand in order to lock it in place. The present invention fulfills this need.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved cast stand.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide an improved stand used to elevate a broken or sprained limb, whether cast, bandaged or not.
Briefly described according to one embodiment of the present invention, the self-contained limb and cast support device is a self-contained limb and cast support device that is incorporated into the limb cast upon application of said cast and the second being a self-contained limb and cast support device that is not incorporated into the limb cast for use in instances where the cast is preexisting or the injured limb requires elevation for healing, but not a cast.